Pros:

Cons:

"Hero-based real-time strategy." That's what JoWood and Encore call SpellForce, a game with a mixture of genres that can best be described as somewhere between Diablo and Warcraft. Set on a fractured world linked by magic portals, you control a rune warrior attempting to reunite the planet. In parts of the game, you'll be romping around by yourself in a very detailed 3D environment, smacking bad guys, talking to NPCs, and acquiring quests. However, once you find a special monument, things get interesting. Without load times or any graphical changes, the game turns into an RTS. You can command your monument to spawn workers, who in turn gather natural resources and construct buildings so you can raise an army. This blend makes SpellForce one of the more interesting games we've seen lately, although not without its share of problems.

As a single-player game, SpellForce shines. Players are treated to a very deep (albeit totally linear) storyline where they'll eventually be able to command warriors from six different races. NPCs that can be interacted with are clearly marked. There are a ton of minor quests to perform, along with the main overarching quest, so there's never a point in time when you're confused as to what you should be doing.

The level of customization you can give your main character gives SpellForce the ability to be replayed over and over again, each time with a different feel. For instance, my first character was an enchanter, capable of affecting the minds of my enemies and convincing them to join my side. There are four different schools of magic (White, Elemental, Mind, and Black), each with three specializations. There are also melee schools that allow a player-character to gain access to tougher armor and weaponry.

This elf has obviously seen Solid Snake.

The thing with genre-mixing games is they tend to fail to measure up to the key attributes of the genres they're trying to emulate. SpellForce lacks the plotline choices that mark the best RPGs, and don't expect to consult Sun Tzu to guide your strategy, either. No unit has a great advantage over another unit, and in the chaos of battle, it would be futile to attempt any sort of true tactics. SpellForce is also too slow to match up to great hack-and-slashers like Diablo and Dungeon Siege. It takes time to build a horde capable of taking down an enemy encampment.